December 01, 2019

Russophile's Bookshelf


Russophile's Bookshelf

We receive dozens of books from publishers each year, yet can only review a few in each issue of Russian Life. Here are a few books we recently received that are in publication and should be brought to Russophiles' attention.

 

Midnight in St. Petersburg, by Vanora Bennett (Thomas Dunne, $25.99)

Faberge jewels, Rasputin, and a priceless Stradivarious violin all play a part in a young woman's flight for survival, and for love, in revolutionary Russia.

 

Russian Tattoo, by Elena Gorokhova (Simon and Schuster, $15.99)

We reviewed this fine memoir by the author of Mountain of Crumbs in our November/December 2014 issue. The book is now out in paperback.

 

Alla Osipenko, by Joel Lobenthal (Oxford University Press, $34.95)

An autobiography of the legendary dancer and rebel who paid the price for speaking truth to Soviet power. The book draws on 40 interviews with the prima ballerina, tracing her life from classical darling to avant-garde rebel.

 

Soviet Leaders and Intelligence, by Raymond L. Garthoff (Georgetown University Press, $26.95)

A leading Soviet expert offers an informed and highly readable assessment of how Soviet leaders understood (and misunderstood) the intentions and objectives of their "main adversary." Garthoff shows how Soviet leaders were often not receptive to intelligence analyses that conflicted with their existing beliefs, and that intelligence officers were often not willing to challenge ideological orthodoxy.

 

Hit Parade: The Orbita Group, edited by Kevin M.F. Platt (Ugly Duckling Presse, $18)

A bilingual Russian-English colleciton of poems by the four leading authors of the Orbita creative collective, based in Riga, Latvia. Orbita is a trans-ethnic, trans-linguistic phenomenon that draws on both the traditions and contemporary scenes of Russia, Latvia and Europe.

 

Russia: Putin's Playground, by Anastasia Edel (Lightning Guides, $8.99)

Mini travel book sized, this is a brief guide to recent trends in culture, politics and society, with a dash of history thrown in. Lightning Guides "are short, beautiful books that connect curious readers to big ideas." Brevity is the watchword here, but it could be a good starting point for someone just dipping their toe in Russophilia.

 

The St. Petersburg Connection, by Alexis S. Troubetzkoy (Dundurn, $29.99)

A short, well-written history of Russian-American relations from 1776 to 1917, exploring the seemingly unlikely connections between the two countries – one a champion of liberty and progress, the other an absolute monarchy and defender of tradition. 

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Some of Our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
22 Russian Crosswords

22 Russian Crosswords

Test your knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and society with these 22 challenging puzzles taken from the pages of Russian Life magazine. Most all the clues are in English, but you must fill in the answers in Russian. If you get stumped, of course all the puzzles have answers printed at the back of the book.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
At the Circus

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

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